Multiracial Child Resource Book

Living Complex Identities

Edited by Maria P. P. Root and Matt Kelley
Review by Tracey L. Hurd, Ph.D.
Lifespan Faith Development, UUA
Boston, MA

“For the first time, a book about multiracial youth includes both a developmental guide spanning from birth to adulthood, as well as multiple chapters on specific multiracial heritages, which include frequently overlooked mixed race populations.... This research is accompanied by commentary from the true ’experts‘ – young multiracial people themselves.” –From the Introduction, by Matt Kelley and Maria Root

We want to welcome all children and youth into our congregations. Striving toward true religious hospitality and meaningful faith development experiences for all children requires learning more about the diversity of families, children, and youth. As congregations, we are increasingly multiracial. Sometimes multiraciality is apparent and other times it is not. As a society we have only just begun to recognize multiracial identities: The 2000 U.S. Census was the first to allow respondents to identify with more than one ethnic group. By most accounts there are over seven million multiracial families in the United States. Additionally, a large number of families become multiracial through adoption. We need to know more about what it means to have a multiracial personal or family identity, but the resources have been scarce.

The Multiracial Child Resource Book is a new resource that is unique and invaluable. Maria Root, a psychologist who specializes in multiracial identity development, and Matt Kelley, founder of the MAVIN foundation, which is “dedicated to celebrating multiracial and transracially adopted youth and families,” edit the volume. Both identify as multiracial. James Banks, a leading scholar of multicultural and antiracist education, provides an introduction. There are four sections composed of short chapters.

Section one, “Multiracial 101,” provides introductory chapters about the history of the recognition of multiracial individuals in the United States. It attends to racism. The section closes with Maria Root’s “Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People,” which poetically expresses the many tensions experienced by multiracial individuals. For example, one right is: “I have the right not to keep the races separate within me.” Another is: “I have the right to identify myself differently in different situations.” The Bill of Rights raises awareness of how much our racial identity affects our social interactions and feelings of self worth. It illuminates how painful it can be not to have one’s true self recognized and accepted.

Section two, “Identity and Development,” consists of thirteen chapters that describe racial identity development in age-related and family-constellation contexts. The three chapters on youth, written by a series of highly regarded scholars, are the strongest. In the chapter on youth age eleven through fourteen, Donna Jackson Nakazawa writes, “But while monoracial adolescents can assuage their fears of not fitting in by befriending other adolescents who are ‘just like’ them, for the multiracial youth, this search to find one’s identity is inherently more complex.” Religious educators and parents reading these chapters will more deeply appreciate the complexity that youth navigate and will find themselves thinking, “Our Unitarian Universalist faith communities can really offer something to children, youth, and families who identify as multiracial or multiethnic.” There are chapters on domestic and transracial adoption and multiraciality as well as testimonials by youth and young adults.

Section three, “Specific Multiracial Heritages,” provides fourteen first-hand accounts. Scholars reflect on their own experiences in these chapters, bringing the reader into a world of multiracial identities, family cultures, and communities. Many touch on issues that are sensitive within specific communities, as in Lillian Comas-Diaz’s chapter, “LatiNegors: Afro Latinos’ Quest for Identity.” It is a privilege to read this frank collection.

Section four, “Resources,” provides an annotated bibliography of books, films, and web sites. This section is a treasure. The resources listed are not exhaustive, but they are a worthy collection. The books section lists books for children, young adults, adult fiction, and adult non-fiction (which is further grouped by topic). Films are listed with annotations and length. Web sites are grouped by topic with short explanations and URLs.

The Multiracial Child Resource Book is an important resource for growing congregations. It sensitively illuminates the lives of families. It explains more clearly what dilemmas confront multiracial individuals and families. And it provides concrete guidance for meeting current needs. Many congregations offer youth experiences through which they can learn more deeply about themselves, such as Coming of Age. This resource is particularly helpful for those of us working with youth and nourishing their paths of self-discovery. We can reach youth, children, and families better if we understand their needs. The Multiracial Child Resource Book is an important tool for our shared ministry.

Available from the Mavin Foundation www.mavinfoundation.org or 1-888-77MAVIN